Commercial and film production company Washington Square Films has signed director Julio Palacio for commercial representation. Dedicated to crafting emotions through storytelling, Palacio draws on his Colombian background to infuse energy and diversity into all his projects. Focusing on short-form documentary-style films, Palacio has to his credit work that’s been officially selected at festivals worldwide, leading him to take on long-form spots for Google, 3M, Daimler Mercedes, MasterCard, and Stanley Black & Decker. Connecting with the New York-based Washington Square Films marks his first commercial production representation in the U.S.
His latest short documentary Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World was recently acquired by Netflix for distribution on December 11, and shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards in the Documentary Short Film category. The film introduces us to a teen with autism who unlocks a joyous world of self-expression as she shares her voice for the first time using a letter board. Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World also earned Best Documentary Short at the Tribeca Film Festival, and other honors at the Indy Shorts International Film Festival, Slamdance, Cleveland, Cordillera, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta Film Festival; as well as nominations for the Critics Documentary Choice Awards, and Cinema Eye Honors.
Palacio said, “I am honored to join the Washington Square Films family, where our visions for storytelling align on both film and commercial work. I create stories that evoke deep emotion and empathy, and I’m excited to bring that to our projects. Together, I believe we can craft cinematic work that resonates and leaves a lasting impact.”
Han West, EVP of production at Washington Square Films, said of Palacio, “He has an outstanding ability to weave emotion, truth, and cinematic beauty into every frame of his work. It’s rare to find a storyteller with such a natural gift for creating powerful, raw connections with an audience.”
After graduating high school, Palacio requested a gap year, but his mother declined. Consequently, he enrolled in business school where he quickly realized it was not his strong suit, failing every class. This led his mother and a vocational psychologist to help him discover his strengths and realize that his future career should be in the arts.
With that, he enrolled in school again, this time to study communications at the Javeriana University in Cali, Colombia, with a specialization in film. While studying film, he became increasingly interested in acting, which led him to transfer to Georgia State University in Atlanta, where he majored in film production and minored in theater. After college, he secured an agent and pursued acting, landing numerous jobs in commercials and other projects. However, during auditions, he discovered a new aspiration: he wanted to be the one comfortably seated in the director’s chair. This revelation led him to explore directing, a path he ultimately pursued after stepping away from his three-year acting career.
In his work, Palacio strives to find authenticity in both visuals and performances, a principle he honed through his acting and documentary background. He believes that capturing what’s real at the moment is essential, even in fiction and commercials. Whether it’s the choice of actor, camera movement, or lighting, any element can contribute to a shoot feeling genuine. For Palacio, discovering those real, authentic moments is a hallmark of his directorial approach and makes the creative journey truly special.
